Is Christian Hip Hop The Secularization Of The Gospel Or A Natural Progression? Bishop T.D. Jakes Weighs In

With Christian rapper LeCrae picking up a GRAMMY and Da T.R.U.T.H. taking home a STELLAR award in 2013, many people within the faith community are chattering about what the rise of Hip Hop in the Christian context really means. Recently, Bishop T.D. Jakes weighed in on the issue.

When asked by The Christian Post whether Hip Hop should be classified as the “secularization” of Christian music or simply viewed as a natural progression, Jakes gave a brief, but well thought out answer.

“Gospel Hip Hop has made significant contributions to the next generation,” said the Dallas mega pastor, though he admits that the older generation still cringes a bit when they hear its aggressive beats and contemporary sound.

“If you’re like me, you love the old hymns and the old songs that we were taught, but this debate happens every 20 or 30 years or so,” he noted.

Jakes referenced a time when Mahalia Jackson, known as “The Queen of Gospel,” was viewed as controversial, and “was put out of some churches because she clapped her hands or because they played that ‘honky-tonk’ music, they called it, simply because she used the piano.”

Now, Christian Hip Hop, still a very hotly debated topic, is seeing rapid growth, but not without pushback.

Last week, when Reach Records co-founder and artist LeCrae snagged the “Best Gospel Album” GRAMMY, some were slightly confused about how he triumphed over mainstream gospel staples like Marvin Sapp, Israel Houghton, and James Fortune.